Apparatus therefor



,.UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

ALBERT SNOECK, OF ENSIVAL, BELGIUM.

METHOD OF REMOVING VEGETABLE MATTER FROM WOOL, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,992, dated January 23, 18213.

Application filed August 29, 1882. (No model.) Patented in Belgium May 24, 1882, No. 58,012, and in England May 31, 1882, No. 2,575.

, Method of Removing Vegetable Matter from V001, and in apparatus therefor or connected therewith, (for which I have obtained a patent in Belgium, dated 24th ofMay,lS82,No. 58,012, and a provisional protection in England, dated 51st of May, 1882, No. 2,575,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists, first, in subjecting wool to chemical processes having for their object to clear the wool from vegetable matter adhering to it, not while the wool is in the form of yarn or woven tissue, but when it has been worked into a fleece or slivers by the carding or combing machine, so that the chemical action takes place while the wool is in a stateof division favorable for the destruction of the vegetable impurities; secondly, in applying for these processes a machine the features of which will he described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of these drawings represents a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a plan, of a machine embodying my improvements.

The machine is composed of the following parts:

First. 'A-rack, on which are placed the bobbins a a, carrying the slivers.

Second. A tank,B, containing the acid bath, and provided with rollers serving to conduct the slivers so asto keep them for a certaintime in the bath. On leaving the bath the slivers are passed between a pair of press-rollers or wringers, O, which press out the greatest part of the liquid retained in the wool.

Third. Two drying-cylinders, A and A, each constructed with two solid disks or carriers mounted on a hollow axle, havinglarge openings F between the two carriers, Fig. 2, the

. circumference of the cylinder being formed by bars parallel to the axis, and at a considerable able forallowing the air-current serving to dry the slivers to pass through their entire thickness in one direction or in the other. Each of these cylinders A A is inclosed by a casing, L or L, which communicate with each other.

Fourth. A tank, B,eontaining water, which is continually renewed. v

Fifth. A tank, B, containing a solution of soda, ammonia, or other alkaline substance.

Sixth. A tank, 13, containing a soap bath.

These three tanks, like the tank B, are provided with guide-rollers and wringers.

Seventh. A drying-cylindemA", similar to the cylinder-A.

Eighth. A heating apparatus, M, placed in a closedchainber.

Ninth. Six fans, E E, E E, E E". The fans E E suck in hot air, blow it through the axleF of the cylinder A into the interior of this cylinder, and force it to pass through the layer of wool which surrounds the cylinder. The air fills the chamber L, and passes then into the chamber L, being forced on one side by the fans E E"and sucked on the other side by the fans E E, which communicate with the hollow axle of the cylinder A, so that the air of the chamber L is forced to pass from the outside to the inside through the slivers which surround the cylinder A. The air is subsequentlydischarged from the apparatus in passfans E E.

The chamber L may be in communication either with the hot-air chamber or with the atmosphere of the machine-room by means of different openings provided with valves. This arrangement allows mixing the air coming from the chamber L with hotter or colder air, so as to bring it to the required temperature. Finally the two fans E E take hot air from the air-chamber, forcing it afterward through the axle of the cylinder A, and from there through the layer of woolen slivers which surround this cylinder. By means of apertures applied to the conduit of these ventilators and provided with valves the temperature of the hot' air can be reduced at will 'by mixing with it more or less air from the machine-room.

The three drying-cylintlers and the four pairs of press-rollers receive a rotary motion from a train of tooth-wheels calculated in such a manner that the speed at the circumference of the sliver, while the soap bath in the tank B t ion completed.

'ers they pass on the small roller H in order to surround the whole circumference of the cylinder A, which they leave on passing over the small roller H, to be conducted toward the cylinder A. l'Vhile the slivers travel with the cylinder A air passes through them at alow temperature, but sufficiently hot so that, after leaving the cylinder, the material is completely dry, or nearly so. The sliver travels then in the same manner with the cylinderA, where air passes through it at a temperature suffi- (-iently high to pulverize the vegetable matter. By this arrangement of drying-cylinders and fans I obtain the almost complete utilization of the hot air, and expose the wool to a high temperature only during the time absolutely necessary. The most convenient diameter for the cylinders, as well as the quantity of air for every pair of fans, and the besttemperature to be adopted for every cylinder, will be found by experience. In leaving the cylinder A the slivers are drawn into the tank B, where they are washed with water, so as to eliminate as much acid as possible. The bath in the tank B serves to neutralize the acid contained in is destined to completelypurify the sliver from any traces of acid base or salt which it may contain. Finally, in leaving the wringingroller of the tank B the sliver surrounds the circumference of the cylinder A, by which it is dried, and the whole process of carboniza- The tank 13 and the three drying-cylindersmay,however,beomitted,and these organs replaced by a well-known drying apparatus. After the slivers have come out of the machine they may be formed into so many bobbins as there are slivers at the entrance of the machine; or several of these slivers may be united, in order to form a smaller number, by passing them through doubling apparatus or gill-boxes. .The removal of the pulverized vegetable matter is effected without any difficulty by the combing-machine or other appliances used for the preparation of wool for spinning, according to the period at which the carbonization is effeeted-that is to. say, whether before or after the treatment of the sliver by the eombing-machine.

In the drawings the Way described by the sliver isindicated by dotted lines.

The number of acid tanks, washing or neutralizing tanks, and drying-cylinders may be altered without departing from'the nature of this invention, and the cylinders may be replaced by other known drying apparatus. In-

stead of acid baths or neutralizing-baths,

chambers maybe used where the material is impregnated with gases having the same effect as the latter.

that I claim as new, and wish to secuie by Letters Patent, is-

l. The method ofpurifying textile fiber from vegetable impurities by carbonization and washing while the material to be purified forms a shver or fleece, instead of subjecting it to these processes While it is in the form of flocks, yarn, or tissue, substantially as and for ALBERT SNOEGK.

Witnesses H. LYNER, H. YANssoM. 

